Famous fatwa targets

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In 2010, an Australian imam named Feiz Muhammad issued a fatwa calling for the beheading of Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders, who made anti-Islam statements relating to Muslim immigration. Robin Utrecht/AP/File

In 2004, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh released the film 'Submission,' which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims. He was assassinated by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch-Moroccan Muslim, on November 2, 2004. Rick Nederstigt/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom/File

Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard drew a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb in his turban; several attempts on his life have been made, and he lives under constant police protection. Odd Andersen/Reuters/File

Author Salman Rushdie's 1998 novel 'The Satanic Verses' offended some Muslims to the extent that a fatwa was issued against him by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then the Supreme Leader of Iran, on Feb. 14, 1989. Mr. Rushdie went into hiding for years. In 1989 there was a failed attempt on his life. Beowulf Sheehan/PEN American Center/File

In February, influential Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi issued a fatwa that any Libyan soldier who can shoot embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi dead should do so ‘to rid Libya of him’ because Mr. Gaddafi turned his military on his own people. Max Rossi/Reuters/File

Evangelical pastor Jerry Falwell said on '60 minutes' in 2002, 'I think Mohammed was a terrorist.' Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, the spokesman of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa for Falwell's death, saying that Falwell was a 'mercenary and must be killed.' Mr. Falwell died in 2007 of natural causes. Jeff Christensen/Reuters/File

Somali-Dutch feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote 'Infidel: The Story of My Enlightenment,' an autobiography which gives a graphic account of how she rejected her faith and the violence she says was inflicted on her in the name of Islam. Ms. Ali has received death threats because of her screenplay for Theo Van Gogh's film about women and Islam, 'Submission.' Shiho Fukada/AP/File

A Muslim militant has urged American followers to assassinate television host David Letterman, a US intelligence monitoring group said on Aug. 17. Mr. Letterman allegedly made a joke about the killing of senior Al Qaeda member Ilyas Kashmiri on his show "Late Night with David Letterman. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/File

A radical Muslim group warned Matt Stone (l.) and Trey Parker, the creators of 'South Park,' that they could face violent retribution for depicting the prophet Mohammed in a bear suit during a 2006 episode. Chris Pizzello/AP/File

Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa has been rocked by violent protests after Sheikh Aboud Rogo, a Muslim cleric and one of three Kenyans under sanction by the US for ties to the militant Al Shabab group, was shot dead.